What are the consequences of low self-esteem?

[Golam Kibria]

The impact of low self-esteem on your life can be significant, you may find that all areas of your life are affected in some way and confirm your core belief that you are of little value. The section above shows how low self-esteem can interact with mental health problems, exacerbating existing conditions and making you more vulnerable to developing other problems. It can also influence your day-to-day life.

Personal relationships

If you have low self-esteem you might find that you form damaging relationships. You may feel you don't deserve to be treated with love and respect, and so allow friends or partners to take advantage of you or control you.

Social life

For some people with low self-esteem it can be very difficult to hear criticism and you might find that you are overly-sensitive and upset very easily. You might therefore stay away from activities that can expose you to any type of judgement, leaving you to become isolated and frustrated

"Low self-esteem has severely limited my career development. It has kept me in a place of low confidence, so that I’m less willing to take on challenges at work."

Source: http://www.mind.org.uk

[Golam Kibria]

Negative behaviours

You might find that to try and deal with your low self-esteem you behave in ways that are damaging to you and those around you. You might find that you try to 'escape' from life and engage in risky behaviour like taking drugs, unsafe sex or drinking too much. You might also develop an aggressive or violent personality to try to hide your vulnerabilities and protect yourself from further damage.

No-one is happy all the time, and having high self-esteem does not mean you will always feel confident about work or have successful relationships. However, good emotional health and positive self-esteem are strong predictors of happiness. If your core belief about yourself is mainly positive you may still associate with some of these behaviours, but your ability to cope with them will be much better.